Each week during the season, Parks’s Pulse will present a smattering of thoughts on the previous weekend’s games.
Ranking the games
1) Roughnecks 21, Showboats 20: Both games between these two were decided by one point. Memphis experiences hard luck once again while Houston is unbelievably at .500.
2) Panthers 38, Defenders 14: D.C. could’ve kept this much closer but their tackling was downright atrocious. The Defender defense has nose-dived after a strong start to the season. Will anyone challenge Bryce Perkins for UFL MVP?
3) Stallions 26, Brahmas 3: Watching San Antonio, I’m reminded of the famous John McKay quote when asked by a reporter, “what do you think about the execution of your offense?” McKay’s response: “I’m all for it.”
4) Battlehawks 12, Renegades 6: Hugely disappointing quality given the stakes and the prime Friday night timeslot. I can’t imagine anyone sampling the UFL via this game and thinking the league is worth watching.
Major problems for Minor: Arlington’s offensive line has suffered through their share of penalties. Left tackle Ricky Lee’s issues have been previously documented. On Friday night, more than one-third of the penalties called on Arlington (four of 11) were attributed to left guard Marcus Minor. Minor, in his second year as starter along the Renegade’s offensive line, struggled against the St. Louis front. His most egregious mistake was a facemask on a third-down conversion by Arlington. On a night when Luis Perez and company had difficulty getting the offense going, they could ill afford the penalties Minor and the rest of the offense contributed.
All-access moment of the week, part one: Friday night’s 12-6 score indicated missed opportunities offensively for both teams. Indeed, with St. Louis threatening midway through the second quarter, they faced a fourth down at the Arlington two-yard line. Eschewing a short field goal, head coach Anthony Becht decided to go for it. However, Max Duggan’s pass fell incomplete, through the arms of Hakeem Butler. Butler, the veteran, took responsibility on the sideline, offering comfort to his struggling young QB. “That’s on me, bro. I gotta make that play,” he told Duggan.
Country vs. City: While football broadcasts have peeled back many of the layers of the game for fans at home, there is some verbiage that is still unfamiliar to viewers. Consider Houston Roughneck defensive end T.J. Franklin’s interview after his scoop-and-score against the Showboats. He mentioned the ball being “in the country” when explaining why he picked it up and ran with it. That probably didn’t make much sense to most people. Later on, analyst Jordan Rodgers explained that to defensive players, when no one is around the ball, it’s okay to try to scoop it up and run with it – the ball is considered “in the country” when no one is around. But when it’s crowded around the ball – or, “in the city” – defensive players are instructed to simply fall on it. A neat bit of football trivia.
Taua’s Family FT: Panthers RB Toa Taua is quickly becoming a favorite of TV broadcasts for his unique story. Taua failed to make the team out of training camp and was working at a golf course when injuries on the team led to him being re-signed. He has since seized the starting job and produced admirably for Michigan. In the past, he talked about needing to feed his family and kids, so during the game, sideline reporter Cole Cubelic had Taua's family on FaceTime on his phone so Taua could say hi to them. These are the personal stories of players that will touch people watching and allow them to become invested in their journeys.
Dab on’em: Occasionally, college or NFL coaches or players will attend UFL games to support their former teammates or players. This year alone we’ve seen QB Cam Ward, who ended up going number one overall in the NFL Draft to the Tennessee Titans; and Maryland head coach Mike Locksley, on the sidelines to watch his son Kai of the Showboats. Sunday night, Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney was in Birmingham, and FOX’s Devin Gardner interviewed him. At the end of the lengthy interview, Swinney jokingly told Gardner, “nice Michigan State colors,” in reference to his dark green jacket. Gardner, a University of Michigan alum, playfully got annoyed at Swinney pointing that out. But hey, wearing that color, Gardner kind of had it coming.
Sideways kickoff: Football is a copycat sport and we’re seeing that play out in the UFL. The first kicker we observed lay the ball flat on the tee for the kickoff was B.T. Potter of the Panthers. Others have now followed suit. Potter was asked about that technique this weekend and he noted kicking that way puts a different spin on the ball and makes it harder for the returner to catch. This has helped limit kick return yardage – good for kickers and coverage teams, bad for viewers who enjoy long returns.
All-access moment of the week, part two: Battlehawks head coach Anthony Becht had little sympathy for Renegades QB Luis Perez in a heated match-up between the two teams for second place in the UFL Conference. In a game in which Perez was sacked three times by the St. Louis defense, Becht was annoyed at Perez’s Tom Brady-like attempts at getting roughing the passer calls. “Is this quarterback gonna cry every time he hits the ground?” he (perhaps rhetorically) asked the official closest to him on the sideline during the game.